A lack of consensus from Pacific nations has forced Beijing to shelve a sweeping security and economic deal with the region, following a meeting between foreign ministers on May 30.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is midway through an eight-nation tour of the region where Beijing has been attempting to tighten alliances with the island nations.
The China-Pacific Island Countries Common Development Vision, which was leaked last week covers cooperation across 10 Pacific nations in the fields of free trade, fisheries, security, cyber, and maritime mapping, and would have been a significant step forward for the Chinese Communist Party’s ambitions in the region….